Wednesday, October 10, 2018

REVIEW: 'Mr. Mercedes' - Hodges Is Victimized by Brady's Violence Once More in 'Nobody Puts Brady in a Crestmore'

After Hodges suffers an attack, Ida, Holly and Jerome rally around him, but Donna is reminded of her deepest fears. As support of Babineau's treatment methods dwindle, Babineau goes over Montez's head.

In 2018, it has become very difficult to keep up with every television show out there. It's even more difficult to provide adequate coverage on this site about the episodes that air every week. Not every show can get full coverage because of my busy and hectic viewing schedule. As such, some reviews will now be condensed to give only some summary thoughts. But it also affords a space for me to jot down my thoughts on the various episodes. And so, here are my thoughts on this week's episode of Audience's Mr. Mercedes.

"Nobody Puts Brady in a Crestmore" was written by Samantha Stratton, Mike Batistick & Dennis Lehane and directed by Jack BenderEveryone has been waiting for Brady to regain consciousness this entire season. And now, it finally occurs. That was the suggestion after Hodges shot Al in the face. There was the understanding that Hodges or Lou would be able to get a response from Brady before Babineau could. However, it's also weird to see this story dragged out for another week with the actual reason being a little lackluster. His fantasy world has been destroyed. That's what a bullet to the head did for Brady while in control of Al. Hodges believes that Al was waking up from this nightmare in the split second before he pulled the trigger. But the extent of the damage done to Brady proves that not to be true in the slightest. Instead, he is once again visited by his family. They are the reason he wakes up. However, it's also painfully clear that the show couldn't bring back Kelly Lynch for this moment. So, they are covering up that fact while still trying to play to the sincerity of it all. Plus, it's confusing to see Brady awake in the hospital room and tormenting Hodges' mind before that moment only to then have Babineau come into the room screaming at the workers for trying to transfer his patient. It all seems a little too complicated in order to create a situation in which Brady is free to terrorize the world from his own body once more. There was the suggestion that he wouldn't be able to move or talk if he woke up. But that's not true at all. He is still a monster. And now, he's free. He is no longer hiding behind the minds of other people. He is in complete control. That's just a minor plot detail over the scope of this hour though. Instead, a significant amount of time is spent on how everyone is coping with the tragedy that happened with Al in Hodges' house. The police are able to easily label it a case of killing him out of self defense. They see a man who had a complete mental breakdown and snapped by killing his brother and trying to do the same to Hodges. It's a convenient solution even though it doesn't explain his motive. Hodges and Montez are still working as a team. And yet, they can't convince anyone else of their wild theories about Brady. In fact, Babineau is proving to be just as capable an adversary. He's becoming more monstrous to the world as well. Sure, Cora is a twisted individual too. But he expects to be forgiven and praised even though he was torturing a woman in order to get what he wanted. That was despicable. It's an ongoing torture as well. He expects everything to return to the way that it was. As such, he is becoming desperate for fame and appreciation. He is eager to prove that Brady is still alive. He ultimately gets that confirmation. However, he is just as surprised that he isn't able to control him. He shouldn't be. And yet, he is. Meanwhile, Hodges knows exactly what to expect from Brady. He continues to feel responsible for stopping him. Right now, he is in the hospital though. He has significant injuries and will need to recover. But he probably won't be given that time to heal because Brady will continue to come after him and his loved ones. This hour confirms just how loving the relationships Hodges has with Ida, Donna, Jerome and Holly actually are. He trusts them completely. He wants them in his life even though they could only get hurt because of their connection to him. He is alive because of Ida. She distracted Al. Donna called 911. He put them through the emotional ringer. But they are still choosing to be by his side at the hospital. Even after he is released, they are doing whatever it takes to step up and prove that they can still be reliable moving forward. It just puts them in harm's way as well. Donna is arguing that this doesn't need to be Hodges' responsibility. And yet, the final confrontation is set to occur with Hodges and Brady facing off once more.